1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for cooking certain foodstuffs, especially whole chickens, ducks, pheasant and other fowl. More particularly, but without restriction, this invention relates to a unique cooking apparatus, and a method for using the apparatus, which permits roasting and grilling of whole chickens and other fowl while keeping the cooked meat moist and seasoned by vapors from a desired flavored liquid and by smoke generated by drippings.
2. Description of Related Art
Over recent years, the adverse health effects of foods containing high fat and cholesterol concentrations have caused concern among consumers. As a result, consumption of leaner type foods, in particular chicken and other poultry, has increased. Consumers have searched for improved methods to prepare these type foods so as to maintain exceptional flavor, while at the same time minimize the amount of fat and cholesterol added to the foods during the cooking process. For instance, instead of frying foods in oil or grease, more consumers are now broiling, grilling, steaming, baking, or roasting foods because these preparation methods generally reduce or eliminate the amount of fat and/or cholesterol added to the food during its preparation.
Of the favored food preparation methods mentioned above, one popular type of cooking is commonly referred to as "barbecuing." Barbecuing is popular because of the unique and desirable "outdoor taste" achieved from cooking on a barbeque grill. Barbecuing is also popular because it allows consumers to impart their own unique flavor to the barbecued food with special flavoring liquids or sauces.
Generally, barbecue grills include an oven-like housing which contains a food support or grilling surface. The grilling surface may comprise spaced-apart bars which can be parallel or crisscrossed. A heat source, which may be burning charcoal, or a gas flame combined with artificial "briquettes", radiates heat from beneath the grilling surface directly to the food lying thereon. As the radiated heat cooks the food, grease and other drippings from the food fall through the open grilling surface onto the charcoal or the artificial briquettes, thereby causing flames and smoke which enhance the flavor of the food.
Contrary to popular belief, the "outdoor taste" associated with barbecuing is not solely the result of cooking over charcoal or over a gas flame combined with artificial briquettes, but actually stems from the flavored smoke created when grease and other drippings from the food drip onto and ignite on the charcoal or briquettes. The flavored smoke created by the ignited grease and drippings permeates the food and imparts the popular "outdoor taste."
One problem associated with barbecuing is that the direct heat, which is not easily controlled, and the flames, which are generated when the grease and drippings ignite on the charcoal or briquettes, may tend to overcook, dry out, and even sear or burn at least the outer surface of the cooked food. This disadvantage is especially present when cooking whole fowl, such as chickens and the like. Chickens and other fowl are irregularly shaped and have a non-uniform distribution of fat under the skin, with a greater concentration of fat under the skin in the thigh and back area. As such, whole chickens and the like are difficult to cook on a barbecue grill because they must be constantly observed and manually turned at frequent intervals to prevent burning and drying out and to ensure even cooking of the entire chicken.
Some cooks attempt to prevent burning and drying out by basting the food with a flavored liquid or sauce before and during cooking. However, basting is inconvenient and troublesome because it requires regular attention at frequent intervals. The prior art addresses this problem with several devices that automatically baste food cooked on a grill, but these devices are complicated and expensive. Moreover, basting does not eliminate the burning and searing caused when grease and other drippings ignite into flames as they strike the heated charcoal or briquettes.
Ideally, then, it is desired to have a cooking apparatus which provides a means for:
keeping the grilled food moistened during cooking; PA1 imparting desired tastes to the grilled food through vaporizing flavored liquids, with the vapors flowing over grilled food; PA1 imparting desired tastes to the grilled food by permitting grease and other drippings to drip onto the charcoal or other heat source and thereby generating smoke, and maintaining the food in the path of the smoke; PA1 conducting heat to the interior part of the food being cooked for uniformity and thoroughness in cooking; while PA1 at least partly shielding the food being grilled from direct heat and flames, to control searing and/or burning of the outer surface. PA1 provide sufficient support for the mounted chickens to prevent toppling of the impaled chickens while being cooked; PA1 at least partially shield the impaled chicken or other fowl from flames caused by grease and other drippings that strike the hot charcoals or briquettes when the device is used in conjunction with a barbecue pit or gas grill; PA1 permit grease and other drippings from the cooked food to drip onto the charcoal or briquettes during the cooking process to create flavored smoke; and PA1 maintain the meat being cooked in the path of the produced smoke.
Other prior art apparatus have been directed toward some of the problems of drying out, burning, and searing associated with barbecuing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,142 to Builey discloses a steamer device that is filled with a flavored liquid and nested inside the bed of charcoal or briquettes. As the steamer device receives heat from the heat source, the flavored liquid is vaporized and released through a series of openings directed toward the grilling surface. The steam surrounds and permeates the food being cooked thereby imparting the flavor from the liquid to the grilled food while simultaneously moistening the food to prevent it from drying out. While the steamer disclosed in Builey may continuously flavor and moisten the food during the cooking process, it does not shield the food being grilled from direct heat and flames so as to control the burning and searing caused by flames created when grease and drippings from the cooked food ignite on the charcoal or briquettes. As a result, the steamer device of Builey does not eliminate the need to constantly observe and manually turn the food products at frequent intervals to prevent burning and to ensure even cooking of the entire mass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,851 to McManus discloses a cooking utensil designed to solve the problem of burning, searing, or scorching the external surfaces of the food being cooked on a grill. However, unlike the device disclosed in Builey, the disclosed cooking utensil referred to in McManus does not provide a means for flavoring and moistening the food items during the cooking process.
The prior art shows no apparatus and method, particularly adapted to cooking whole chickens and other fowl on a barbecue grill or the like, which:
provides a means for imparting desired flavors through the steaming of flavored liquids in proximity to the fowl; PA0 provides a means for conducting heat to the interior of the fowl being cooked to achieve even cooking throughout; PA0 provides a means for at least partially shielding the cooking fowl from the direct heat source so as to control searing, burning and like effects; while PA0 permitting fat and other liquids cooked out of the fowl during the cooking process to drip onto the heat source and thence vaporize, and maintaining the cooking fowl in the path of the flavored smoke, vapors and the like produced by the dripped fat and other liquids.
Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive, simple and effective device that enables the consumer to evenly cook whole chickens and the like on a barbecue pit, indoor oven, or gas grill without having to constantly attend to the food during the cooking process, and which enables the consumer to maintain the popular "outdoor taste" and any unique flavors that may be desired from a favorite liquid or sauce, while keeping the cooked food moist and controlling burning, searing, and/or drying.